


Side-effects

by Profilore



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Basically, Chronic Pain, Drugs, Edward is always varying levels of stoned, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Medicine, that's it that's the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28618278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Profilore/pseuds/Profilore
Summary: Ed came to give a report as he usually did, as late as was customary. He didn’t look injured, or even very ruffled, but what came out of his mouth wasn’t a report. It was a five-minute long poem about birds.
Relationships: Hinted, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Side-effects

Riza has known Edward Elric for a few years now, but the boy was still a mystery to her. One day he’s cheerful and optimistic, another – morbid and annoying, a third – tired a flat-faced. Then there were days like today.

Ed came to give a report as he usually did, as late as was customary. He didn’t look injured, or even very ruffled, but what came out of his mouth wasn’t a report. It was a five-minute long poem about birds.

Initially surprised faces around quickly turned giddy as he went on and on, eager to see just how high the colonel’s left eyebrow can climb without falling off. In fact, Roy’s whole face was twitching, and his palms were conspicuously pressed to his table. He was a sight to behold.

Ed was just wrapping up as Alphonse came running in, making everyone (aside from his brother) jump.

“…Leaving a houseless home, a ruined nest—

And mournful hath the little warblers sung

When such like woes hath rent its little breast.”*

“Ed! What are you doing? Are you sprouting depressing obscure poetry again?”

“Yea, I guess. What’s the problem?”

“The problem is, brother, that I left for five minutes to get milk and found you gone! You didn’t take your jacket, you didn’t close the door, you didn’t even take your watch with you! I thought you were kidnapped! Idiot brother!”

“I’m not the Idiot, you’re the Idiot. Я хочу хоть с одним человеком обо всём говорить как с собой…”**

“What language was that, drachman?” Havoc asked, looking more curious by the second.

“Brother! You’re impossible. You need to sleep, and I’m going to make you, even if I have to sit on you.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Watch me!” Alphonse grabbed his weakly struggling sibling around the waist and carried him. Astonished eyes followed them out.

Before the door, the armored boy stopped, turned back to them and sheepishly scratched the back of his helmet with his free hand.

“Uuummm… I’m sorry about that. Brother really needs some rest. May we go?”

Riza watched as Roy picked his jaw off the desk and waved at him helplessly. The boy bowed briskly in thanks, dipping Edward to the floor and making him yelp, then stormed away.

* https://interestingliterature.com/2018/11/16/the-yellowhammers-nest-a-poem-by-john-clare/  
Ed just came back from an investigation where a mother lost three children in one night because of a gas leak that started a fire. He’s disturbed by the thought that lives of children are so vulnerable. He’s too stoned to give a proper report, so he recites a poem with similar themes just to fuck with Mustang and express his feelings at the same time.

** This is in Russian, the Drachman prototype language, a direct quote from “Idiot” by Dostoevsky, roughly translates to “I wish i could speak to someone else like i speak to myself”.

* * *

When Ed walked in, Riza noticed it right away. Two things, actually.

First – he was limping. Not very pronounced or noticeable, but it was there. Second – he was itching for a fight.

He walked straight on to Roy’s office, not even seeming to notice the waves and greetings from the rest of them. Alphonse, trudging after his brother as usual, looked worried, if the nervous twitching of his gauntlets was anything to judge by. Worried, Riza followed them in.

Ed threw a thick stack of papers of Roy’s desk without a word, scowling deeply. Now that she saw him under the direct lamp light, she thought he looked a bit pale. His nose and forehead shined with sweat.

Roy finally picked his gaze away from the paperwork in front of him, saw Edward and smirked at the boy, reaching for the report (because, what else could it have been).

Then Roy frowned, flipped the bound pages back and forth, and looked back at Edward. The boy was still staring at the wall.

“This is completely illegible, Fullmetal. What possessed you and robbed you of whatever little ability to write you still had?”

“Your fucking timing.”

Alphonse breathed in sharply at the profanity, and Riza tensed. Edward always had a dirty mouth, that was no secret, but he usually refrained from demonstrating it while in the presence of his superiors. Aside from that, the sentence was pronounced with such poison, that Riza almost felt it dripping down on them, like cold rain.

Roy looked at him with confusion, clearly realizing, like Riza, that something must be wrong. Then, something seemingly downed on him.

“Oh. I see. Well, I’m sorry, boys. I didn’t remember the date’s significance. It’s no wonder you’re not in a great mood.”

Edward continued to scowl at him, but at least his expression wasn’t so murderous anymore. Alphonse didn’t say anything, either, only clasped his hands behind his back, his head bowed.

“I intended to give you a small errand to run, but maybe you should just go home now…”

“No, it’s fine, whatever. We’re here already. Might as well do something useful,” Ed bit out. His voice sounded rough. Was he not just upset, but coming down with something?

“Are you sure...” Roy started, but cut himself off at the force of the glare Edward leveled at him, “Alright, jees, you’re just a ray of sunshine today, no need to try and fry me with your eyes! Fire is my thing, anyway. I need you to go to this address,” Roy handed the boy a small note, “and bring me whatever you’re given. It’s sensitive info, so don’t peek.”

It was a testament how out-of-sorts Edward was, that he didn’t even argue. Instead, he nodded and pocketed the note.

As the boys turned to leave, Roy gestured for Riza to come closer. As she did, he whispered to her:

“It’s the anniversary.”

Oh. Right. It did happen in autumn, didn’t it? The terrible transmutation that left the boys so hurt. Risa still didn’t know all of what had happened on that day, to Alphonse especially, but it had, at the very least, taken away Edward’s limbs and deeply wounded the younger boy. No wonder the anniversary would be difficult for them, even two full years later.

“Permission to follow them?”

Roy looked her in the eyes. Like he often did, he read her thoughts as easily as if she announced them out loud. He smiled at her with gentle understanding.

“Granted. Just don’t get soaked, the weather is horrible today.”

“I’m not the one who’s useless when wet, sir.” The double entendre was present in her jab, as always, and Roy sighed, waving her away. She smiled at him and ran out the door, hoping to catch the boys before they leave the building.

She came upon them one floor down. She was walking down the stairs when she heard Alphonse’s ringing timbre coming from the right. Deciding not to announce her presence just yet, she stopped and listened. He sounded exasperated and worried.

“… pills. Why do you do this to yourself?”

There was no answer.

“Do you think I don’t understand what you’re doing, brother?”

Silence.

“You don’t get to do that. You have no right to.”

“Why the hell not?!” Edward finally shouted back.

“Because I can’t, that’s why.”

Silence again. When Edward finally spoke, he sounded taken aback and sad.

“Al… _You_ don’t deserve to suffer. I made you do it. I’m the one responsible.”

“Well, I’ve told you a hundred times that I don’t think so!”

A half-minute pause.

“I know. I’m sorry I keep upsetting you like that.”

“I don’t care about being upset, brother. I care about your wellbeing.”

“Yea. Sorry. I just…” Ed’s voice cut off, as if he struggled to go on. Armor clanked. Riza concluded that the boys were probably touching now, looking for comfort. After a moment, Ed’s voice came back, thought it was quiet and cracking with emotion.

“I just can’t. Not today. It feels wrong, to just… dull it and forget,” Ed finished, “And I can’t keep it down anyway. Don’t worry anymore, ok?”

Alphonse sighed.

“I’ll always worry, brother. That’s my privilege.”

“Don’t you mean burden?”

“Am I a burden to you?”

Silence.

“That’s what I thought. You’re being dumb again, brother. Of course looking after you is a privilege. Don’t ever doubt it.”

Riza smiled, realizing that she wasn’t needed here, after all. She left quietly, and heard then arguing about something, poking fun and laughing again. Yes, whatever their issues, they’ll be just fine. They have each other.

**Author's Note:**

> I just found this in my fic archive and thought i might as well post it as is, since it's not too bad and feels complete enough. If you like the idea, feel free to steal it, tho i'd like to be mentioned somewhere. =)  
> Honeatly, I just find the though that Edward is pretty much always high funny and very sad at the same rime.


End file.
